Redskins mascot still used at Sen. Maria Cantwell’s high school

Senator Maria Cantwell of Washington state, recently circulated a letter among her fellow Democrats demanding that the Washington Redskins change their name for being offensive and disrespectful to Native Americans.

Cantwell told the Washington Post she was appalled during a 2013 playoff game between the Redskins and her home state’s Seattle Seahawks. According to the Post she said the presentation of Washington’s team was “just so shocking to me,” and that the Redskins were offering “a caricature of a team that is not just respected by Indian Country,” she told the paper.

Cantwell might have been shocked earlier in life. Growing up in Indianapolis, Cantwell attended Emmerich Manual High School. Perhaps not surprisingly, in a state called Indiana, in a city called Indianapolis, the school’s mascot is Indian themed. In fact, its mascot is the “Redskins.”

Cantwell later attended Miami University of Ohio, graduating in 1980. Interestingly enough, Miami University used a “Redskins” mascot at the time.

It’s not clear whether Cantwell ever raised any objections while attending either school. Miami University dropped the logo in 1997, after a tribe that had sanctioned its use withdrew support.

At least several dozen high schools around the country still use “Redskins” as their team mascot, based on data compiled on Wikipedia. More than a dozen use the term “Braves,” as does Atlanta’s major league baseball team. The team name “Indians,” used by Cleveland’s baseball team, remains especially popular with high schools as well, with several hundred using it.

The map below identifies high schools that use terms related to Native Americans as their team mascots in states with senators who signed Cantwell’s letter.

Schools that use “Redskins” have large red locator pins.
Schools that use “Indians” have small yellow locator pins.
Schools that use “Braves” have small green locator pins.

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